The Patristics Series: Caspius Greenleaf
The Patristics Series is a collection of writings of the great fathers of the Church. This volume, which is third in the overall series, contains the writings of St. Caspius Greenleaf and his biographers. These texts were oringally intended by the late bishop for inclusion in the canon of scripture but were later placed within this series at the direction of the Congregation for Sacred Texts. The Psalms of Caspius The Psalms of Caspius are numbered 16-22 so as to follow the 15 psalms of the Codex of Scripture. Psalm 16 A psalm of Caspius, in praise. (1) The Light is my law and my salvation; (2) Of whom shall I be afraid? (3) Though my enemies surround me, (4) What power hath the might of men? (5) Before the glory of the Light, all knees must bend. (6) The king and peasant alike are humbled, (7) And all souls are brought to final judgement, (8) Bowing like a tree before a summer storm. (9) The acts of men last but a season, (10) But the Light endureth forever. Psalm 17 A psalm of Caspius, in thanksgiving. (1) Thy way, O Holy Light, is not the way of men. (2) Paved with suffering, darkness lurks without. (3) Yet even when death confronts me (4) And the aspects of despair surround me on all sides, (5) I am without fear. (6) For I know, in my suffering, that thou art with me. (7) Thy teachings are my comfort, (8) Thy voice, my conscience, is my strength. (9) When my friends desert me, thee alone remain. (10) Verily, I shall trust in thee and devote myself to thee forever. Psalm 18 A psalm of Caspius, in praise. (1) Blessed is the Holy Light that maketh the world anew. (2) And blessed is he who heralds the coming of the day. (3) Every tear is wiped away, every sin forgiven; (4) The mercy of the Light: glorious and wonderful beyond measure. (5) Sing ye ten thousand praises--ten thousand times ten thousand. (6) Let the heavens ring with a song of glory to the Light. (7) Let every frown be cast off; let every shadow be cast down. (8) Let us sing praises to the Light forever. (9) Gracious and wonderful, majestic and glorious, (10) Worthy, worthy, worthy to be praised. Psalm 19 A psalm of Caspius, in confession. (1) My heart is shattered; I am overthrown. (2) O show me mercy, Holy Light, thrice-Holy! (3) Take from my lips this cup of chastisement; (4) Save me from the suffering which I rightly warrant. (5) Though often have I strayed, and often have I erred, (6) Grant mercy to the undeserving, as thou hast ever done. (7) Look with pity upon thy servant vile, (8) Washing away all iniquity through grace exalted. (9) By mercy cleansed, through grace restored, (10) Welcome me once more unto thy holy embrace. Psalm 20 A psalm of Caspius, in petition. (1) Come to my aid, O Light divine, (2) Strengthen thou my will, weak as it is, (3) That I might not stray from thy path. (4) Come to my aid, O Light divine, (5) For without thee, I am nothing, (6) As dust before a wind, driven I, and harrowed, (7) Scattered forth in nothingness. (8) Come to my aid, O Light divine, (9) Grant unto me the courage of my convictions, (10) That I might walk in faith forever. Psalm 21 A psalm of Caspius, in supplication. (1) Great and terrible is the Holy Light, to whom all praise is due: (2) Arbiter of final judgement, the seat of mercy and of justice. (3) When I approach the holy throne, shall I be afraid? (4) In the memory of my errors, shall I quake and tremble? (5) Truly, I shall throw myself upon the mercy of the Light, (6) Even though I am the sure and savage author of my wretchedness. (7) Serve first the Light and ever, and all else second withal, (8) And take comfort that the Light will never abandon its devoted. (9) O Light, abandon not your servant, cast me not into the darkness; (10) Forgive your recreant child; this well-chastised penitent. Psalm 22 A psalm of Caspius, in praise. (1) The Light endureth ever; fountain, well-spring of all hope. (2) And I have seen the goodness of the Light, of its promise to the living. (3) In the vast and windy valley, I have seen the shining city (4) Majestic like a mountain rising out from swaying grass. (5) Roundabout its walls I wandered, 'neath its towers there, I waited. (6) Without the gate I stood, by its porter there attended. (7) Glad my heart shall be when I see it once again, (8) For I yearn to enter in; to dwell in radiance and in splendour. (9) The promise of the Light is joy to the faithful heart: (10) All believers dwelling peacefully in the City of the Light. Revelation to St. Caspius Preface The Revelation to St. Caspius is the testimony of a vision containing the Light's message of suffering and glory. Chapter 1 (1) My dear brothers and sisters in the Light, greetings to you from your loyal servant, and the Light's blessing be upon you always. (2) I relate herein a dream which came unto to me, and it is my fervent hope that the mysterious and wonderful symbols which I beheld will be of benefit to you, giving you comfort and reassurance of the grace of the Light and the blessings of Paradise which await the faithful. (3) It is the Light's will that the faithful should be comforted by the faithful, and as ye have ever been my comfort, I hope that my dreams shall now be of comfort to you. Chapter 2 (1) On the night of my election to the episcopate, I shut myself away in meditation to discern the Light's intention. (2) After some time in prayerful meditation, I was overcome by sleep, and laid down to rest my head upon my cloak. (3) As the world fell away, I found myself standing on a vast plain of grass which swayed gently in a warm breeze. (4) The breeze was the breath of life, and it flowed without cessation across the plain. (5) In the distance I beheld a great city rising like a mountain where the plain met the sea. (6) The city was made of gold which was as transparent as glass. (7) Seven towers made of seven diamonds were its ornaments. (8) And in the center, a castle wrought of pearl and crystal shone withal. (9) No sun was in the sky overhead, for the city shone as the sun, and the Light shone out from within the city. (10) Across the plain, it was ever as mid-day, and the sky above was the blue of a pure lake, untroubled by the faintest ripple. (11) At my back the plain swept down to forests with mountains beyond, and before me the plain rose to the city. Chapter 3 (1) As I beheld the city, I was overcome by a great sadness. (2) The sadness came not from without, from aught I could behold, but from within. (3) In despite of the heaviness in my heart, I strode across the plain, but found that the city grew no closer. (4) Every step I took towards the city carried me only further away from it, and my sadness grew in equal measure, until I fell to my knees. (5) Then, heard I a voice in the wind, which came in tones that lifted me to my feet. (6) 'Despair'st thou not,' spake the voice, 'All who live and are filled with the breath of life are unworthy to enter the city.' (7) Then was I overcome with fear, responding, 'Cannot any one gaineth access? For I am greatly desirous of entering into that fair city.' (8) The voice responded, 'None are worthy, yet all are called and may enter therein.' (9) Then was my heart gladdened, and I turned my steps towards the city once again. Chapter 4 (1) Now, I found that my approach to the city was no longer prevented, and I hastened towards it, intent upon entering thereunto. (2) But as I approached, the grass seemed to grow ever thicker. (3) Still I forced my way, even as the sharp edges of the plainsgrass cut at my legs. (4) Eventually, I could go no further, and I sank to the ground. (5) 'Why is the way lined with pain,' I cried out. (6) 'The way to my city is through suffering,' replied the voice, 'But within its walls, suffering is unknown.' (7) Then I looked up and beheld the shining city, and once more was I filled with hope. (8) Resolving that no amount of suffering should bar my way to such a goal, eftsoons I set out, though every step pained me more than the last. Chapter 5 (1) I arrived at the gate which lay without the city. (2) The gate of the city was of gold and it stood open as if it had never been shut. (3) There, a porter welcomed all within with words that refreshed the spirit and the body, healing there my wounds. (4) But when I prepared to enter into the city, he refused me entry. (5) 'It is permitted not that thou shouldst enter within, until thy troubles are at last laid down,' he said gently. (6) 'Have I not suffered enough,' I said, 'For I heard a voice which promised to me that are all called to enter into the city.' (7) 'Verily, it is so,' replied the porter, 'But thy time is not yet come.' (8) Then my heart sank, but the porter beheld my sadness and said, 'Come and I will show thee sights, and thy heart will be made glad until the time of thine entrance is at hand.' Chapter 6 (1) Then the porter raised his hand and pointed into the sky, wherein I espied a vision of the world not as it is but as it ought to be. (2) All men dwelt therein as brothers, and no strife nor suffering came between them. (3) Compassion was the universal law, respect was the watchword of the conscience, and tenacity was the wellspring of hope. (4) There was neither want nor death, for the old order of things had passed away. (5) 'Lo, thou beholdst the fitness of things,' quoth the porter. (6) 'Thou man, tak'st heart, for what thou seest is what rightwise ought to be, and what shall be, in the fullness of time.' (7) Then was I sore astonished, and I said to the porter, 'Sooth, thou herald of hope, pray tellest me whether I shall live to see this day of joy.' (8) 'Thou knowest well that thee ne hast not years sufficient to endure until,' the porter said. (9) Yet, when he observed that I lowered my eyes from the city, downcast, he said, 'Be comforted. The day when thou shalt behold this city cometh quickly.' (10) Then I lifted up my head as the porter placed his hand upon my forehead. (11) 'Returnest thou whence thou cam'st,' quoth he, 'As thou now knowest that the Light blesseth you and giveth approval withal.' Chapter 7 (1) When I woke, I beheld the dawn and knew that my time of meditation was at an end. (2) Yet still I marvelled at the things which I had beheld and which I do not yet fully understand. (3) Oh, how glorious is the Light, that it should show such marvels to unfit, mortal eyes. (4) Oh, how merciful is the Light, that it should bless we poor, unworthy creatures. (5) Yea, brothers and sisters, this is what I truly beheld, and what I send now unto you, with my hope that ye shall be gladdened in the hearing thereof. (6) May the grace and peace of the Holy Light be with you always. (7) So I leave you, giving glory to the Light forever and ever, even unto the end of days. Stories from the Life of Caspius The Accused Woman (1) In his first days in the Kingdom of Stormwind, Caspius, not yet bishop, was called upon as advocate for a prisoner yclept Shazia, who stood accused of poisoning many innocents with plague. (2) When the people of the city heard that the woman had been apprehended, they demanded her execution forthwith, crying out, "This woman hath the blood of scores upon her hands! (3) She is beyond redemption; the law demandeth her death!" (4) But Caspius went unto the people saying, "None there are, nor who ever lived, that standeth beyond the reach of the Light's redemption, be they but possessed of a contrite heart and a spirit of penitence." (5) Yet the crowd made clamour all the same, demanding that the woman be turned over, that they might do justice unto her. (6) "Nay," said Caspius, "For the protection of the Church given the Light's redeemed is a sacred thing, in defence whereof I should venture my life." (7) Then from out the crowd cameth further enquiry, asking whether Caspius had no duty to the law or to the justice rightful to the slain. (8) "Aye and verily," quoth he, "But what victim will be returned through the death of this woman? (9) Or what soul will be saved if she is sent to the block unshriven? (10) No, my brothers and sisters, we are called to pray for the souls of all, even the most reprobate, that they might be saved and redeemed by the Light." (11) Cameth call from the crowd, "May she be damned, not saved!" (12) Then was Caspius wonderly wroth, and he said unto them, "Be ashamed, thou craven speaker, that thou shouldst desire the destruction of any one, even the most wicked! (13) And get ye gone, for your words do ye no great courtesy, and show ye below she whom ye wouldst condemn!" (14) Then the crowd went out from that place, murmuring darkly amongst themselves. (15) But some amongst them said, "Mayhap he speaketh sooth," and showed thus their merit. The Sufferings of Caspius (1) When Caspius suffered in his final illness, a chiurgeon hight Junjei came and said unto him, "Knowest thou wherefore thou sufferest? (2) It is that thou might serve as example unto the faithful, demonstrating both how to live and how to die alike." (3) Quoth Caspius in reply, "Aye, my son, well mayst thou so think, but I believe wisdom lieth in yet another direction." (4) "Tell me then," spaketh the chiurgeon, "For I wot well that thou hast a mind renowned in divining such matters." (5) "Certes," Caspius did reply, "It is not for us that we should wonder at whys and wherefores, but rather to seek the shoulds and oughts." (6) At this the chiurgeon was much amazed, and he said, "So thou saith, but I understand not, what with the wherefores and the oughts." (7) "I tell you," replied Caspius, "Forsooth, 'tis not our place to demand of the Light the reasons whereby our lot is given. (8) Rather, 'tis ours to do what is most right, and to rest well in the knowledge that the Light ordains all things withal." (9) "Art thou not possessed of a desire to know the purpose of thy suffering?" enquired the chiurgeon. (10) Responded Caspius, "Would knowing such absolve me of my charge one whit? (11) Nay; whatever the cause, still am I called to do what is most right, and that alone." (12) But seeing that the chiurgeon was yet unsated, Caspius said, "Yet I know the wherefore of all things: 'tis for the greater glory of the Light, despite the wickedness of man's intent." (13) Then was the chiurgeon satisfied, and he went out from the bishop to give glory to the Light. Category:The Patristics Series